UKC

Can anyone give me a ball park figure for a helicopter rescue from the JMT.

My partner who is German has annual insurance that offers 2500 euros fro rescue costs. I will be getting BMC so should be OK. Do you think that hers is sufficient?

Many thanks

In reply to Pedro50:

How about you tell readers what JMT is? Thanks.

In reply to abseil:

Always thought JMT was the John Muir Trust, but do they now do rescues?

In reply to abseil:

The John Muir Trail. Apologies

In reply to Pedro50:

2500 Euros looks a bit thin for helicopter rescue, especially in the US.

In reply to Pedro50:

Unless you're found to be really, really negligent, you're unlikely to be charged for a rescue from the JMT. The Forest Service, BLM and National Park Service all have an official policy of charging for rescues, but in practice for any reasonable callout they almost always absorb the costs into their operating budgets.

A much bigger concern in the US is the cost of healthcare and repatriation. As of March last year, there is now no single insurer in Australia who will underwrite rock climbing in North America, solely because of the hospital bills.

Will

In reply to Captain Fastrousers:

Thanks Captain, food for thought. We will of course have additional medical insurance.

In reply to Pedro50:

Last time I spoke to a ranger in Yosemite it was around $40,000 for a heli ride out (may or may not have covered other costs, it was a chat after seeing someone get rescued out) can't promise the accuracy of it.

On a side note a hospital over there charged me $500 for a tetanus jab, and I had to claim it back from the insurance. So i can imagine the price being in the right area

In reply to IMA:




That's why you should never pay direct if you can help it. A medical bill in the USA bears no relation to what they actually expect to get paid. An insurance company would probably have paid $50-$100 if they had gotten the same bill direct and the hospital would have been perfectly happy with it. Crazy system, but that is how it is.

In reply to MarkJH:

Indeed, I didn't pay as I didn't have my wallet handy (had a few bucks in cash for a coffee).
I had 2 insurance policies (one travel, one work) but I thought the price may highlight how bad the system can be.

In reply to Pedro50:


No need to apologize, and thanks a lot for your reply!